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Increase in CAO applications for Agricultural Courses welcome – Nolan

Sinn Féin spokesperson on Education and Skills Carol Nolan
TD has said that the increase in interest through CAO for Agricultural courses
is welcome and has expressed concern at the fall in numbers applying for
nursing courses.

Teachta Nolan said:

“The 17% increase in CAO applications for Agricultural
courses is very positive.

“Farming and the Agri-food sector are the backbone of rural
Ireland and it is heartening to see such strong interest in young people
considering a future in this sector.

“Ireland has a strong reputation internationally for the
quality of its Agri-food and drink produce, which has seen an increase of 3% in
exports in 2015 according to figures from Bord Bia.

“Given the fact that 41% of our exports go to Britain, there
is an onus on the Government to seek to protect and strengthen this sector in
the course of the negotiations.

“The 10% drop in applications for nursing courses is
concerning but not surprising, given the chaos in our health system at present.

“It is little wonder that young people are rethinking
entering the nursing profession and this is reflective of the difficulties in
retaining nursing graduates and attracting emigrant nurses from abroad.

“It is clear that much more needs to be done to
address this issue if we are to retain sufficient levels of nursing staff and
the Government must take real action to ensure that the working terms and
conditions of nurses are attractive options for young people and those working
in the profession.”